Franciscan Health hospitals throughout Indiana have been recognized by the Indiana Hospital Association (IHA), in partnership with Governor Eric J. Holcomb and State Health Commissioner Kris Box, MD, for their commitment to infant and maternal health at the first annual INspire Hospital of Distinctionrecognition program.
INspire, funded by the Indiana Department of Health’s Safety Perinatal Information Network (PIN), was developed to implement the delivery of best practice care for Hoosier moms and babies and recognize hospitals for excellence in addressing key drivers of infant and maternal health.
Franciscan Health hospitals in Crown Point and Hammond earned the “Category of Excellence” rating and Franciscan Health hospitals in Indianapolis, Lafayette, Mooresville and Michigan City were cited as “INspire Hospitals of Distinction.”
This recognition was based on implementing best practices in five key areas, including infant safe sleep, breastfeeding, tobacco prevention and cessation, perinatal substance use, and obstetric hemorrhage.
“As part of our longstanding mission to respect life, it is paramount to who we are to protect the lives of mothers and their babies,” said Joan Culver, MS, BSN, RN, who leads Franciscan Health’s Women and Children’s Service Line Collaborative. “We are so proud to see the impact of this work across the state and will continue to work diligently to ensure more Hoosier families have the best start.”
“I am inspired by the work and passion our birthing hospitals bring to make sure all babies born in Indiana have the best start at life,” Dr. Box said. “Reducing infant and maternal mortality requires a multi-pronged approach over the course of many years to see impactful change. We’re seeing that change happen, but we can’t stop now. We must continue to adopt best practices so that we can celebrate more first birthdays in Indiana.”
Dr. Box noted that among many successes, Indiana has seen a nearly 30 percent drop in Indiana’s black infant mortality rate in just two years.
“Indiana hospitals are grateful for the leadership of Governor Holcomb and Dr. Box and are thrilled to be a partner in Indiana’s successful effort to reduce infant mortality,” said IHA President Brian Tabor. “We look forward to building on the progress we’ve made and achieving Governor Holcomb’s goal for Indiana to have the lowest rate of infant mortality in the Midwest by 2024.”
IHA serves as the professional trade association for more than 170 acute care, critical access, behavioral health, and other specialized hospitals in Indiana.
To learn more about Women and Children Services at Franciscan Health, go HERE.
